Dec 11 Doing dockless

Bike-sharing service Pace is promising hybrid dockless bikes without the drawbacks. Zagster, the outfit behind the scheme, is rolling out its cycling initiative in four US cities with users able to lock bikes not only to standard Pace racks but also to existing racks using Bluetooth-enabled smart locks.

Zagster is hoping Pace will tackle the problem of bike litter, with dockless bikes left in streets in metros around the globe. The citizens of Munich are asking municipal officials to clear two-wheelers from pavements, while Paris is planning tighter legislation against sharing outfits.

The company reckons it will become the largest dockless bike share provider in North America with hundreds of thousands of shared bikes, a boast which has echoes of the hubris of Chinese dockless bike providers who are currently battling to survive.

Zagster beta-tested Pace from July to October in Rochester with outstanding results. It says that compared to station-based bike shares in similar cities, the Pace model achieved an 800% increase in ridership in the first 90 days of service.

“In its first season of operations in Rochester, Zagster has become a vital and integral component of our city’s existing transportation network and shown its willingness to be a true community partner,” says the city’s Mayor Lovely Warren.